Published: Thursday, December 12, 2013 at 06:50 PM.

North Carolina’s court system is woefully underfunded, to the point that the former judge who runs the administrative arm of the courts is correct that a lack of money makes it difficult for the system to function efficiently and mete out justice fairly.

John Smith, a former prosecutor, chief District Court judge and special Superior Court judge from Wilmington, knows that money is tight. But it is his job as head of the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts to warn legislators about the consequences of failing to properly fund the system. That includes not only the courts themselves, but judges, prosecutors, magistrates and public defenders who work in the courthouses.

More than 6,000 employees work under the AOC, but as the Associated Press reported this past week, Smith told the House Committee on Judicial Efficiency and Effective Administration of Justice that he needs 700 more to handle the work that is expected in the coming years. It would cost $100 million.

The workload could be made lighter if the agency’s computers weren’t the electronic equivalent of dinosaurs. Since taking the job at AOC in 2009, Smith has focused on efficiency as well as the need to update the long-outdated computer systems. Two years ago he initiated $13 million in voluntary budget cuts in a pre-emptive effort to hold off sharp reductions from the General Assembly. But lawmakers pushed through cuts that included eliminating 61 magistrates and 200 court employees.

Since then the Honorables have restored some of the magistrates and added money for court interpreters to meet a growing need. Nevertheless, money continues to be tight.

The good news, at least for now, is that the caseload is dropping – especially traffic-related offenses that can quickly overflow the court calendar. The bad news is that cases are still backlogged and the workload heavy.

Regardless of finances, North Carolina residents will continue to demand fair trials and quick resolutions to cases, to the extent possible. They will continue to need help settling estates of deceased loved ones and handling divorce and child custody issues. They will need to have access to small-claims court to settle disputes with debtors and creditors, and they may depend on the judicial system to punish those who have wronged them in a timely manner.

North Carolina’s court system is woefully underfunded, to the point that the former judge who runs the administrative arm of the courts is correct that a lack of money makes it difficult for the system to function efficiently and mete out justice fairly.

John Smith, a former prosecutor, chief District Court judge and special Superior Court judge from Wilmington, knows that money is tight. But it is his job as head of the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts to warn legislators about the consequences of failing to properly fund the system. That includes not only the courts themselves, but judges, prosecutors, magistrates and public defenders who work in the courthouses.

More than 6,000 employees work under the AOC, but as the Associated Press reported this past week, Smith told the House Committee on Judicial Efficiency and Effective Administration of Justice that he needs 700 more to handle the work that is expected in the coming years. It would cost $100 million.

The workload could be made lighter if the agency’s computers weren’t the electronic equivalent of dinosaurs. Since taking the job at AOC in 2009, Smith has focused on efficiency as well as the need to update the long-outdated computer systems. Two years ago he initiated $13 million in voluntary budget cuts in a pre-emptive effort to hold off sharp reductions from the General Assembly. But lawmakers pushed through cuts that included eliminating 61 magistrates and 200 court employees.

Since then the Honorables have restored some of the magistrates and added money for court interpreters to meet a growing need. Nevertheless, money continues to be tight.

The good news, at least for now, is that the caseload is dropping – especially traffic-related offenses that can quickly overflow the court calendar. The bad news is that cases are still backlogged and the workload heavy.

Regardless of finances, North Carolina residents will continue to demand fair trials and quick resolutions to cases, to the extent possible. They will continue to need help settling estates of deceased loved ones and handling divorce and child custody issues. They will need to have access to small-claims court to settle disputes with debtors and creditors, and they may depend on the judicial system to punish those who have wronged them in a timely manner.

That system will be unable to function as intended without both proper administration and sufficient money. The House committee that just began meeting last month will look at ways to improve efficiency. Its members will look at caseloads and look for ways to save money, where possible, as well as areas where more money is needed. The courts are extremely important, and lawmakers should spend more time learning how the complex system works.

As they perform that task, committee members should rely heavily on the expertise of a man who has seen the system from the prosecutor’s table, the bench and now from the administrative side. He he has shown both a willingness and the ability to keep the wheels running as smoothly as possible and to make tough choices with an eye on cost savings.

And he already has given them some advice. When one committee member asked Smith if he had a solution for the numerous problems he outlined, Smith did not hesitate. “More funding,” he said.